Tickets for new ski resort in north Korea cost €25

A day-pass ticket for a lavish recently-opened ski resort in North Korea costs 25 euros (US$34), a media report revealed Saturday. Young Pioneer Tours, a tourism agency specializing in North Korea, said the price includes entrance fees, lift rides, and rental of equipment, according to the report by the Washington-based Radio Free Asia (RFA). A half-day ticket is priced at 15 euros, while accommodation at the resort costs 120-200 euros, the report said. RFA said that the ski resort is anticipated to attract some 5,000 daily visitors when it commences full-scale operations, adding that North Korea will rake in some $60 million annually from the project. The Masik Pass ski resort near the North's east coast city of Wonsan was built on the personal initiative of Kim, who is believed to have enjoyed skiing in the Alps while studying in Switzerland in the 1990s. North Korea opened the resort ahead of the New Year. North Korea is reportedly using Canadian and European equipment at the resort, indicating that Pyongyang likely skirted United Nations sanctions banning the transfer of luxury goods to the country.